summer schedule

Camp #1 – Pardubice
June 30th - July 3rd – US team training
July 4th - 11th – English camp
July 11th - 12th – follow-up

Camp #2 – Vysoke Myto
July 14th - 17th – US team training
July 18th - 25th – English camp
July 25th - 26th – follow-up

Camp #3 – Valasske Mezirici (Val Mez)
July 28th - 31st – US team training
August 1st – 8th – English camp
August 8th - 9th – follow-up

intern team 2009

Every summer a team of interns come to Eastern Europe to help run English camps and serve in the local churches.

This year, my team is small but strong. (From left to right: Melissa, me, Matt, & Jerry)

We'll be doing three camps this summer.

Pardubice: July 4 - 11
Vysoké Mýto: July 18 - 25
Val Mez: August 1 - 8

Just last week (when the interns arrived) we ran JV's version of "The Amazing Race" together. It was 48 hours long. We started in Vienna, went to Bratislava and Budapest, and ended up in Malenovice (in Czech). I wouldn't say the race was my favorite thing in the world, but we learned a lot about our team AND didn't end up in last place! :)

open fields of wild...oil?

The Czech Republic is a beautiful country. Often as I'm traveling through it, I have my nose in a book and miss the beauty around me. Other times, the beauty captivates me and I sit and enjoy looking at God's creation.

One of the things I'm often distracted by is these beautiful fields of yellow. I honestly don't think I've ever seen a shade of yellow that's so bright! These yellow fields are Rapeseed fields. It's grown for animal feed, vegetable oil, and biodiesel.

Lately, this has been the view from my bus/train windows. It's either that or the mountains. :) I love living in such a beautiful country!

company!!!

This past week my friends Kim and Joe came to visit. :) They're missionaries in Kenya and decided to take a vacation to Vienna and Prague. It was great having them here! There's something special about connecting with other missionaries who understand you in a different way. I really appreciated being able to get such precious time with them!

3 roommates & 2 towns

I've been told that one of the hardest questions for a missionary kid to answer is the question, "Where are you from?" I'm starting to be able to relate to them, because I have a hard time answering a similar question, "Where do you live?" My answer is usually, "Umm...well...I live in Strakonice AND Vysoké Mýto." I usually get a reaction of confusion in one way or another. I would imagine they typically wonder if they misunderstood my English or they if I said it wrong in Czech. The question that always follows is, "Why?"

So here's why:
I live in Strakonice with two amazing roommates, Leah and Emily. One thing that's really important to JV is that the missionaries are cared for. So for a while, I get to live with these two wonderful ladies in Strakonice.

The other place I live is Vysoké Mýto. I'm a part of the team helping with youth ministry. I get to help with the game club and youth group and small groups...things like that. I'm blessed to have another wonderful roommate in Vysoké Mýto as well, Zuzka. We definitely enjoy our time together: laughing, praying, relaxing (when we have time), speaking Czech, and doing ministry together. It's been fun getting to know her even better!

A couple weeks ago, two of my roommates were able to meet for the first time! It's crazy to think that that's even possible. :)

So there you have it...this is why I live in two towns. Just don't ask me where home is. :)

Easter Monday

I was going to post about the Czech Easter traditions, but when I read my friend Lauree's blog about them...I thought I'd just send you to her blog instead. You'll see why...

http://laureeaustin.blogspot.com/2009/04/charming-czech-tradition-from-twilight.html

a conversation with Sierra

I talked with my four-year-old niece today and this was the conversation we had:

Sierra: Why you live far far away?
Me: Because that’s where I live now.
S: But WHY so far far away?
A: I live here because I want to tell the people here about God.
S: But why they not know about God?
A: Because their moms and dads didn’t tell them about God.
S: But why they not tell them?
A: Because THEY don’t know about God.
(pause)
S: But how will you tell ALL them and their moms and dads about God?
A: I won’t be able to tell ALL of them, but I’ll tell the people who I meet.

This must have satisfied her, because she moved onto the next subject.

S: What’s your house look like?
A: Umm…(I’m really bad at describing things) The walls are white…and…you know what? We have a couch in our kitchen!
S: What?
A: We have a couch in our kitchen.
S: I cannot hear you. Talk louder!
A: (louder) I said, we have a couch in our kitchen!
S: Hang on…(talking to everyone in the room) Mom, Dad, Hayden, Nana, PipPop…you need to be quiet because I cannot hear my Auntie Autumn.
(talking to me again) Now what did you say?
A: I said, we have a couch in our kitchen.
S: Oh! We do not have a couch in our kitchen. We have…Mom, will you tell Auntie Autumn what we have in our kitchen? Okay, I love you! Bye!

crazy love

I started reading a new book today. It’s called, “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. I’ve only read one chapter, but so far I would recommend it.

In the book, Chan encourages the reader to watch this video:

http://crazylovebook.com/
click ‘videos’
then click ‘the awe factor of God’

I would HIGHLY recommend watching this video!

I was completely in awe of God after watching this. It’s amazing how small and insignificant we are, yet so often we shift our mindsets to think that we’re the only important ones in this world.

Chan wrote, “Many Spirit-filled authors have exhausted the thesaurus in order to describe God with the glory He deserves. His perfect holiness, by definition assures us that our words can’t contain Him. Isn’t it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?” *Crazy Love, p.31)

Wow! We serve such an amazing God! I’m truly in awe of Him!